Lights, Cameras, Outsiders!

Chapter 62

LCO 62

"Dad, we're just gonna try this again," I said to my dad. His arm was still stretched across the doorway not letting us in.

"Essie, I want you to come in. But it's your mother," he said.

"What about her? Look, we're sorry about yesterday," I said.

"Don't be," my dad said. I smiled.

"Dad, I just want to see Jack."

"Here, how about we go to lunch and I'll bring Jack. Sound okay?" My dad said.

"Sure," I said.

"Mr. Hinton, can I talk to you?" Matt said. I knew exactly what he was planning, and I sat down on the porch once Matt whisked my father away down the driveway. Minutes later, my mother came to the door to close it but saw I was there.

"Essie," she said, opening it and walking out.

"Hey, Mom," I said, turning Myers away from the sun.

"What are you doing out on the porch? You'll get sunburn. Get inside," she said. I stood up and reluctantly went inside.

"Dad said you didn't want to see me," I said.

"Dad misunderstood. I didn't want to see that little boyfriend of yours that you're so fond of," she said making her way into the kitchen.

"Dad likes him too."

"Those are just the people Satan wants us to love so he can lure us in to his little trap, Essie. I won't have it," she said. I took a seat at the bar and watched her fill a pot with water.

"He's not demonic, Mom. If there's anyone bad in the relationship, it's me. He's been the best to me," I said.

"Has he hurt you?"

"Well yeah. We've hurt each other. I've hurt him more than he's hurt me."

"What has he done to hurt you?"

"I don't feel comfortable talking about that."

"What have you done to hurt him?"

"I don't want to talk about that either."

"Okay, well if it's been that bad, he's obviously not worth it."

"He is worth it. Why can't you understand that he's great guy?"

"I've seen him in the movies he's in, and most Hollywood actors go off and get drunk all the time and have sex with all different kinds of people and do cocaine and resent the Lord and hate their parents and hit their wives and you'll be a wreck. And you're already half way there with your miscarriage and heart condition and he's rich, paying for hospital bills!"

"Mom! He's not gonna do all that stuff! We're kids! We're eighteen! You've to cut us some slack."

"Tell me, Essie, do you plan on marrying him?" I sighed and rammed my forehead into the counter.

"Why is everyone asking me this?! Yes! I do! I do plan on marrying him! And soon!"

"How soon?"

"I don't know! We said two years from now!"

"Have you been proposed to?"

"No."

"Then how come you're making wedding arrangements?"

"I don't know. Look, you and Dad must've fooled around or gotten yourself in some trouble when you were dating. Huh?"

"Once. One incident," she said walking away to reach up into the cabinet.

"What was it?" I asked.

"I'm not going to talk about it. It was unholy of me."

"Mom, cut the crap. Tell me what happened," I said. She sighed.

"One day a couple days before your father proposed to me...we went skinny dipping in the lake. Okay?

Happy?"

"Wow. You're wild. I thought you wouldve at least liked vodka off his stomach or something," I said.

"Essie!" She hissed when the door opened.

"Thank you, Mr. Hinton, so much," I heard Matt say.

"Thank you, Matt," my dad said. Wish I could get along with his mom like that. Matt came around the corner and when he saw me his face brightened.

"Hey, babe," he said and put arms around my waist and kissed my cheek repeatedly.

"Hi, Mrs. Hinton," he faced her with a smile.

"Hello, Matthew." My dad came around the wall and stood next to my mom.

"Are you two ready to go?" My dad asked.

"Where are you going?" My mom said.

"Out to lunch."

"Fine. I'll just take care of Jack."